Colorado Highway 10 - Quiet, Open Space

State Highway 160 to Walsenburg

I drove from Alamosa to Rocky Ford along State Highway 160 this past Tuesday, to catch Highway 10 east in Walsenburg - a bridge between a grower workshop on Monday, and the drive home to Fort Collins. Being that far south in the state, gives an opportunity to pay a visit to another one of the Colorado State University research centers. There was little traffic along the way for a road that does as much up-and-down through the plains as it does right-and-left turns. I didn't intend to stop and look at birds, but when I saw a flock of turkey off to the right in a pasture, I had to make a U-turn. 

Here are the rafter of Wild Turkey that first caught my eye - an abrupt U-turn was required for a better look, than the rush-by 60 mile per hour viewing in 1.2 seconds. The wattle under their chins was back lit by the morning sun, and was highlighted in contrast to their already dark bodies that seemed almost like silhouettes.

Nearly across the road from the turkey, was a reservoir filled with all kinds of ducks. It would have taken climbing a bank and hurdling a fence, with disregard for a PRIVATE PROPERTY sign - VIOLATORS WILL BE ARRESTED, to get a closer look. So, a long-shot and reference to a Colorado duck identification Webpage will have to do for now. Perhaps among these are American Coot, Bufflehead, Greater Scaup, Mallard, Ruddy Duck - cannot tell for sure when using the iPhoto Crop feature, but there are lots of different species here - even Great Egret.

Also along the way, I saw several large groups that appeared to be conventions of Western Meadowlarks gathered together. The collective noun for a group of larks is an exaltation. When I rolled down my window for a picture, there were many singing as a chorus. There were probably more of meadowlarks than any other species I saw that morning: soaring in the sky, singing to the morning sunlight, setting among the tussocks of bunch grasses and cactus.

Pronghorn Sheep were spotted every once-in-awhile - some close to the road, others in herds at a distance, the back-end of some among the sage brush, a small herd near a fence that runs perpendicular to the fence along the road. All seemed to look over their shoulders at me, as if expecting me to be there watching with some more sinister purpose than shooting video camera images.

A listing for the fauna seen that morning, along Colorado State Highways 160 and 10:

Common Raven - jet back, tall and brave against the approaching car, feasting on fresh road kills

Western Meadowlark - many off both sides of the road, sitting on fence wire, or soaring in the sky

American Kestrel - two sitting on electric wires above the road

Mourning Dove - suddenly appearing after the plains, once I was near irrigated fields in the valley

Wild Turkey - gathered in the morning sunlight

Duck and Egret - on the open man-made lake, behind the levees and tall grass

Pronghorn Sheep - antelope  are found in Africa and Eurasia, not the plains of North America

Mule Deer - dark hair and only the sight of their behinds among the shrubs off Highway 160

Vesper Sparrow, or White-crowned Sparrow, or...... whatever sparrow that is - need to stop to see what is sitting on the fence; not good at identification when driving 65 mph

Brewers Blackbird - Jet black colored, and dull black feathered coast, ready for the first freeze that coming night

Otero County Road Crew - preparing the pavement on Road DD near Road 21 for the coming winter

 ______________________
A audio recording explaining collective nouns for groups of birds.

Upcoming Bird Viewing Stops

I have three upcoming trips in the next three months. Following are birds that represent the places where my travels will take me. It is likely I will not have time to do much birding at two of the places - but maybe I will get lucky as I recently did in Hawaii. Two of the three places I have been there before. I already have handbooks for the birds found there, so no new purchases need to be made - sorry Amazon.

White Stork

The White Stork has a stout body, distinctive long neck and slender legs for wading. The iridescent black wing feathers contrast with the bright white plumage of the head, neck and body, and a patch of black skin surrounds the eyes. The bare legs and straight, conical bill possess a strong red colour that is acquired as the bird reaches adulthood. The feathers of the lower neck and upper breast are elongated, forming a ruff that can be extended during courtship displays. The two sexes appear almost identical although males can be slightly larger. The plumage of juveniles is a dull, light brown colour and has a downy appearance; the black bill and pale brown legs slowly acquire the adult colouration as the bird ages. The white stork is almost voiceless and largely silent, although it does communicate with brief hissing noises and, most importantly, bill-clattering; this is most pronounced during breeding and nesting and the sound can carry great distances. Juveniles are capable of their own rendition, often accompanied by extensive whistling and croaking.

Western Meadowlark

The Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) is a medium-sized icterid bird, about 8.5 in (21.6 cm) long. It nests on the ground in open country in western and central North America. It feeds mostly on insects, but also seeds and berries. It has distinctive calls described as watery or flute-like, which distinguish it from the closely related Eastern Meadowlark. Adults have yellow underparts, with a black "V" on the breast, and white flanks which are streaked with black. Their upper parts are mostly brown, but also have black streaks. These birds have long pointed bills and their heads are striped with light brown and black. Their breeding habitats are grasslands, prairies, pastures, and abandoned fields, all of which may be found from across western and central North America to northern Mexico. Their nests are situated on the ground, and are covered with a roof woven from grass. There may be more than one nesting female in a male's territory. Western Meadowlarks will interbreed with Eastern Meadowlarks where their ranges overlap; however, resulting young appear to have low fertility. Western Meadowlarks are permanent residents throughout much of their range. They sometimes search for food by probing with their bills, and mainly eat insects, but also seeds and berries. In winter, they often feed in flocks. These birds have a flute-like warbled song.

Red-crowned Crane

The Red-crowned Crane is a stately long-legged, long-necked bird whose immaculate snow-white plumage is accented by black secondary feathers, a black neck with contrasting white nape, and a red crown. They stand 1.5 m tall, average 7-10 kg in weight and have a 2.5 m wing span. Unique among the four species of "white" cranes (a group that also includes the Hooded Crane, Black-necked Crane and Whooping Crane) they have snow white primary feathers. The black secondaries form an elegant curling black bustle when the bird is standing. Juvenile birds are also predominately white with black-tipped primaries and dull grayish-brown neck and secondary feathers. Sexes are similar in appearance. They are very long-lived, reaching ages greater than 70 years in captivity. Cranes have specialized vocal adaptations highlighted by an extremely long trachea that coils within a hollow sternum. They produce a wide variety of calls ranging from low pitched purrs to the loud unison calls involved in courtship and pair maintenance. The calls of male and female cranes differ in pitch. The white cranes are the most aquatic of the world's 15 crane species. They inhabit wide open marshes, bogs, and wet meadows where high visibility in daylight leaves them with less need to remain inconspicuous from predators. They have very sharp eyesight, spotting intruders and potential hazards from hundreds of meters away. Red-crowned Cranes roost overnight in rivers or streams to take advantage of the deeper water for predator defense. Their flashy plumage may aid them in territory maintenance.
_________________________
Spoiler Alert. References were directly taken from or adapted for the above descriptions: a, b, and c.